NEW CONTEST: "The Best Book You Read" by @aminaSafdar
| Book | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book Name | Forty rules of Love |
| Writer | Elif Shafak |
| Genera | Literary Fiction |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
| Year | 2009 |
| Language | English |
| Trophy | Prix ALEF* - Mention Spéciale Littérature Etrangère |
How i came to read this book and when?
I read this book in 2020 during lockdown days. I came to read this book because my favourite prime minister named Imran Khan suggested the youth to dip into this book
What is this book about?
This books presents imaginative and creative fiction about literature. In this book you'll see writer trying her best to display Sufism and love despite the religious differences.
Moreover, This includes story of classic friendship between shams of Tabraiz and Rumi of Konya in year 1244.
This book includes two stories, one about ancient konya(which was a part of present Turkey) of 1244 and second about a housewife of modern Turkey who is actually reading this ancient story, in search for Love.
let's have a short review
In 1244 two oceans of knowledge and wisdom met in the form of shams and Rumi. Shams was a wandering dervish, despite his long search for God, he felt an emptiness inside, as if he is alone, felt as if his companion is waiting for him. That sets him to travel from Bagdad to konya to find Rumi.
Rumi was a reowned Islamic scholar in konya, where he used to preach and teach Muslims, and gave sermons in the holy place of Muslims called Mosque. Rumi also had had dreams about his companion.
Two of them met and encased themselves in the libraby of Rumi for forty days, to Discuss the forty rules of love. After than they were seen side by side, their love grew stronger day by day. Rumi'son resented shams, society envied and hated Shams for turning their beloved Rumi( who just kept preaching them but never questioned and saw their hatred for those below them) into a person who sees with an inner eye.
Rumi was an ocean of words for what people liked and respected him wherever he went. On the other hand, shams was a sufi mystic with knowledge beyound ordinary understanding. He was blunt, but had sense in his words, which ordinary people had no understanding about. That's why mostly people hate him wherever he went.
For Instance:
A harlot in the city of Rumi went to the mosque to listen to the sermon of Rumi, all covered in men's clothes. But some people recognized her and cursed her, that a whore like you have no place in this holy place, at the same time amazed by her beauty.
Shams confronted these guys and asked them 30 men against one women isn't a fair game. Leave her alone. You guys went to the holy place to find God, then why were you so indulge in noticing who is sitting beside you. Whether a whore was naked or not. But now you can't stand if she went there to search god. What is this hypocrisy?
She told him later that she is filth, he told him it's your thoughts that have made you to say so. In this present moment you're pure and clean no matter what your past is. Just live in this moment and take the courage and leave that brothel. She did and went on the journey to search God.
One of the forty rules of love says:
"Real filth is the one inside. The rest simply washes off. There is only one kind of dirt that can't be cleansed with pure water, and that's the stain of hatred and bigotry contaminating the soul. You can purify your body through abstinence
and fasting, but only love will purify your heart".
It was the shams who made rumi to have deeper perceptive about what was happening in the society with harlots, beggers and those who drink.
It was shams who challenged the society about their beliefs that made them think as they're superior than those who are sinning and less privileged.
This act had gathered so many enemies for shams in konya, who planned to kill him. They were those who sin at night or sin differently and in the light of the day curse and abuse less privileged people.
Eventually they succeeded in killing Shams 4 years after Rumi and shams met, in 1248, son of Rumi was also involved in this act, thought shams had molded and snatched his father from him.
After that Rumi became a poet whose sole purpose was then to spread and teach love.
what did I learn from this book?
It is the love that lacks in the societies that declare war against fellow humans, but never dare to declare a war against their Ego and Nafs.
You're not superior than those people who sin, you also sin but differently, leave their matter to Allah Almighty, if you're not harmed by them.
If your intentions are pure to leave a sin, like a harlot does in this book, then taking first step to leave it is difficult, rest will be compensated by this universe.
No one can love himself or God if he or she does not love the people around him or her.
That's all for this book guys.
I hope you guys enjoy this one:) Inviting my friends @abdullhahsafdar @sabanaqsh and @murriumkhalid.
Hi @amnasafder, that is really great work by Elif Shafak. Do read her book " Ten minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world".
Regards.
I've read her couple of books, I'll try your recommendation in future for sure:)